Postdoc in solid-state batteries – ML-Based Battery Estimation & Control

Job description

Next leap in the battery development is expected to be the lithium solid-state batteries (SSB), allowing the replacement of the flammable organic electrolyte in Li-ion batteries with a safer and a more compact solid electrolyte. Within the framework of the Swedish governmental battery initiative COMPEL, aimed to support competence and excellence in battery research and education for the transport sector, KTH join forces with a coordinated initiative on composite SSB with seven postdoctoral positions in several disciplines, focusing on various aspects along the battery value chain, ranging from synthesis, cell assembly, characterization, modeling to scaled-up manufacturing. The 2-year postdoctoral project Machine Learning-based Electro-Chemo-Mechanical Estimation and Control of Solid-State Batteries will be hosted by the Department of Decision and Control Systems, EECS. The project will focus on the development of reduced-order electro-chemo-mechanical models, state estimation methods and predictive control strategies for solid-state batteries using data from parallel postdoctoral projects within the initiative. The research aims to improve the understanding of how operating conditions, including charging protocols, temperature and mechanical loading, influence battery performance, degradation and lifetime. The work combines physics-based modelling with machine learning for parameter estimation, degradation prediction, and analysis of electrochemical and structural characterization data, including X-ray CT image reconstruction, segmentation and quantitative microstructure analysis, with the long-term goal of enabling health-aware battery management and optimized charging strategies.

Qualifications

Requirements

• A doctoral degree or an equivalent foreign degree in Control Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Engineering Physics, or a related field. This eligibility requirement must be met no later than the time the employment decision is made.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English, as this will be required in day-to-day work.
• Strong theoretical background in systems modelling, estimation, optimization or machine learning.
• Awareness of diversity and equal treatment issues with a particular focus on gender equality.

Preferred qualifications

• A doctoral degree or an equivalent foreign degree, obtained within the last three years prior to the application deadline.
• Experience in solid-state batteries, including modelling, state estimation or control of electrochemical systems, is considered a merit.
• An innovative mindset and ability to work independently.
• Good collaborative skills and abilities and interest in working in a team.

Great emphasis will be placed on personal skills.

Join us at KTH

KTH shapes the future through education, research and innovation. As a leading international technical university, we play an active role in advancing the transition towards a sustainable society. At KTH, you have the opportunity to grow and develop in a creative and dynamic environment, with good working conditions and attractive benefits. Equality, diversity and equal opportunities are essential to quality and form an integral part of KTH’s core values as a university and public authority.

Learn more about our benefits and what it's like to work and grow at KTH.

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To apply for the position

Log into KTH's recruitment system to apply for this position. You are responsible for ensuring that your application is complete according to the instructions in the ad.

The application must include:

• CV including relevant professional experience and knowledge.
• Copy of diplomas and grades from your university studies. Translations into English or Swedish if the original documents have not been issued in any West-European languages.
• Brief account of why you want to conduct research, your academic interests and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. Maximally one page long.
• Contact to reference persons or recommendation letters.

Your complete application must be received at KTH no later than the last day of application, midnight CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

About the employment

The position offered is for, at the most, two years.

A position as a postdoctoral fellow is a time-limited qualified appointment focusing mainly on research, intended as a first career step after a dissertation.

Other information

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Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.